Chapter 123: School Reopening, Return to School 2
Fortunately, he arrived five minutes early.
Before heading into the department office, Seo Juhwan made his way to the smoking area. Facing the moment to go in, he felt unexpectedly nervous and needed to calm himself.
'When seeking peace of mind and body, nicotine is the way.'
Walking with such typical smoker's thoughts, a familiar voice came from the smoking area.
"Pufhuh. I'll smoke one and go, so you go ahead~."
"Tsk."
"What, you mad? If you're mad, smoke one too."
"This bastard… really… phew."
They were a man and woman he'd seen just moments ago.
The man lit a cigarette and chuckled while the woman glared at him before turning away sharply and entering the building.
'So it was them after all.'
He'd been uncertain, but seeing them here confirmed it. They were faces he'd seen before returning. They were in the same department and same class as him.
Crick.
Seo Juhwan lit his cigarette and observed the man from the corner of his eye.
He was about late 170s in height with curly brown hair. Wearing silver earrings made him look a bit like a punk. Or were those piercings rather than earrings?
[Were they friends?]
'Who knows? It's ambiguous.'
The man was one of the people who had approached him first in his past life. Of course, due to his timid and gloomy attitude, he hadn't become close with him.
'He was popular with the girls though.'
With his handsome appearance and an outgoing personality, he was the type people called cool. The rumors said he'd lead girls around the school like that.
[You had a rival.]
"What? Pufh."
At Lucy's words, Seo Juhwan let out a hollow laugh. He hadn't come to school to meet girls. He came to enjoy campus life full of youth and romance. Of course, campus life wouldn't be complete without socializing, and if he dated, naturally he'd have sex too.
In any case, he hadn't returned to school because of a girl.
"A rival, my ass."
"Huh? Were you talking to me?"
The man in front turned around at his muttering and asked. He was slightly startled and waved his hand.
"No. Just talking to myself."
"Ah, I see? But the fact that you're using this smoking area makes me think you're in the same department as me."
If you entered the building from this smoking area, you'd reach the Publishing Content Studies Department on the second floor. That's why this smoking area was mainly used by students from that department. This led him to assume Seo Juhwan was from the same department.
Seo Juhwan asked to confirm.
"You're in Publishing Content Studies, right?"
"Yeah. You too?"
He nodded. Then the man hesitated for a moment before awkwardly bowing halfway and greeting him. He suddenly had no idea what was happening.
The man spoke while still bowed.
"Um… Hello, senior. I'm Lee Seok-chan, class of 2016."
"What? Lee, first get up. Senior? Why suddenly?"
"Huh? Aren't you a senior?"
Since Seo Juhwan was class of 2013, technically he was a senior. However, he'd gone to the military right after enrollment and was still technically a freshman. He had no intention of acting like a senior either. He wanted to blend in like a friend, not be treated as a senior.
Seo Juhwan stubbed out his cigarette and helped Lee Seok-chan up.
"It's complicated, but first, get up. I'm a freshman."
"…Really?"
"Yeah."
"…Ugh, how embarrassing. Why didn't you say so earlier? You're really a freshman, right? I didn't see you at the entrance ceremony."
"I didn't go to the entrance ceremony."
"Ah, that's why I didn't see you. What's your name? I already told you mine is Lee Seok-chan."
Lee Seok-chan spoke with a refreshing laugh, and his cheerful smile diminished his punk-like impression.
"I'm Seo Juhwan."
"How about we drop the formal speech since we'll be together? Let's be casual."
"Sure. Well, let's speak casually."
As he nodded, Lee Seok-chan suddenly grinned mischievously and opened his mouth.
"Hehe. Then from now on, call me hyung, Juhwan."
"…What?"
"I'm twenty-two. I enrolled a bit late. Oh, and you can speak casually too. We're the same year, so let's be close."
"Ha…."
He wanted to reveal his age after they became closer, but this wouldn't work. He couldn't call someone younger than his actual age 'hyung.'
Seo Juhwan laughed and said.
"Fine. We're the same year, so let's be close, buddy."
"Huh? Um… Juhwan, casual speech is fine, but buddy is a bit much, isn't it? That's not even how you use my name."
Lee Seok-chan frowned slightly as if displeased. This made Seo Juhwan laugh.
"I'm twenty-three, so call me hyung, Seok-chan."
"…What?"
"Oh, you can speak casually, so speak comfortably."
Lee Seok-chan stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.
Let's get along well, Seok-chan.
*
Lee Seok-chan looked completely played, but soon clung to him relentlessly.
"Juhwan. Huh? You're serious?"
"Yeah. That name thing is awkward. You can speak casually, but call me hyung."
He gave back exactly what Lee Seok-chan had said. Lee Seok-chan tapped his chest in frustration.
"My birthday is January. Honestly, isn't this enough to be friends? Early birth year, you know."
"Huh. So you're the type who manipulates the family registry. I don't count early births that way."
"But we said we'd get along well."
"So we do. I think we're already close."
"Right? Honestly, if you get along, you're all friends."
"Yeah. Friends."
"Then I don't have to call you hyung, right?"
"Hey! You little brother! It's me. My birthday is in March. Even if you were born in January, you're filling out almost a whole year."
"Argh!"
"Back in my day, you know, kid. Huh? Remember this."
"Ugh!"
Lee Seok-chan covered his ears and buried his head on the desk.
Seo Juhwan chuckled and patted his back. While doing so, he felt the girl he'd seen earlier glancing at them.
'Her name was… Jeong Ha-yeon, right?'
Like Lee Seok-chan, she was someone who had approached him first before his return, and a friend to whom he felt a personal debt of gratitude.
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